Augustine b



(N0 Mode 1 I A. B. CURTIS.

Machine for F old-ing Corset Parts.

No. 231,901. Patented Se GRAFmm. WASHINGTON. D C.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTINE B. CURTIS, OF DERBY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB F ONE-HALF OF HISRIGHT TO ABIJAH H. GILBERT, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR FOLDING CORSET PARTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 231,901, datedSeptember 7, 1880.

Application filed April 12, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, AUGUSTINE B. Genius, of Derby, in the county of NewHaven and State of Connecticut, haveinvented a new Improvement inMachines for Folding Corset Parts; and I do hereby declare thefollowing,when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the lettersof reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the same, and which said drawings constitute part of thisspecification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a front view Fig. 2, atop view; Fig. 3, a vertical centralsection through the wheels;

I 5 Fig. 4, aperspective view of the guide detached; Fig. 5, atransverse section through the guide at its delivery end; Fig. 6, edgesof the fabric to be folded; Fig. 7, the fabric folded.

This invention relates to a devicefor turning in the raw edge of corsetparts.

In the manufacture of corsets the edges of the parts are generally inirregular or curved lines. These parts are cut from the fabric broaderthan they are to be in the corset, and

5 the edges are turned over so as to present a finished edge, and so asto avoid what would be otherwise a raw edge. Hitherto these edges havebeen turned by hand.

The object of this invention is the construc- 3 tion of a machine to dothe work more rap idly as well as more perfectly; and the inventionconsists in the construction, hereinafter described, and moreparticularly recited in the claims, and is an improvement on the machinefor which Letters Patent were granted to me dated February 24, 1880, No.224,885.

A is the frame or bed of the machine; B, the driving-shaft, arranged soas to revolve in suitable bearings B, and caused to revolve by 4 theapplication of power thereto through a pulley, C, or otherwise. On thisshaft is a smooth-faced wheel, D, its periphery inverted- V shape inlongitudinal section, coming to substantially a sharp edge, and formingthe frusturn ofa cone to the right and left.

Below the shaft B are two vertical shafts, E F, the one to the right andthe other to the left of the wheel D, and oneaeh of these shafts thereis, respectively, a wheel, E F, in the shape of the frustum of a cone,and corre- (No model.)

spending to the faces of the wheel D, the angle of the surface of saidwheels being about forty-five degrees to their axis, all ofcorresponding diameter, and running so as to leave a small space betweenthe faces of the wheel D and the face of the wheels E F. The shafts E Fare driven from the shaft B by means of bevel-gears a, so that arotation in the same direction is given to all the wheels.

Oueach of the wheels E F, and below the gears a, is an india-rubber orflexible disk, (I, and so that when the wheels are revolving the edge ofthe disk will turn down between the faces of their respective wheels E Fand the corresponding faces of the wheel D, as seen in Fig. 3, andpassing from between the wheels, will assume their fiat or horizontalplane.

In front of the wheels is a V-shaped guide,

L, seen detached, Fig.4. This presents nearly a sharp edge to the spacebetween the wheels, and is secured in position to a cross-bar, M. Itsback'P forms a blade extending outward, and which gradually opens intothe V shape,

as seen in Fig. 4. This completes the apparatus.

The two thicknesses of fabric the edge of which is to be folded arefirst stitched together back from the edge, as seen in Fig. 6, so as tohold the two parts in their proper relative position to each other. Thetwo edges are presented, one each side of the blade P, and guided downoutside the folder L. Their upper edges turned over into each side ofthe guide, as seen in Fig. 5, are then presented between the two disks dand their respective wheels E F. These disks, forced by the wheel D,compress the folded edges and draw the fabric through, the edgescontinuing to be turned until the parts have been drawn completelythrough the wheel, thus folding the edges inthe most perfect mannerirrespective of the curves. As the folded edges pass from the wheels thedisk cl will rise to a horizontal plane, leaving the edges hard andnicely folded, without the right-angular break back from 5 the edge,which is unavoidable in my previous patent referred to. V

The disks d, moving, as they must, directly with the surface of theirrespective wheels, and gradually leaving those surfaces, impart 10o abetter and more prolonged pressure than The machine may be constructedso as to fold single parts only-that is to say, the wheel F may bedispensed with and fold only between the wheel E and the correspondingsurface of the wheel D. In this case, if both edges are to be folded,one edge will be folded on a right-hand machine and the other on aleft-hand machine. I therefore do not wish to be understood as limitingmy invention to the use of a double machine.

The disks (1 are represented as arranged on the vertical shaft; but itwill be readily seen that they may be arranged on the horizontal shaftand assume substantially the same position between the wheels; but thevertical arrangement is the best.

I claim- 1. In a machine for folding corset parts, the combination ofthe wheel D, having its periphery in the shape of a V, with two wheels,each arranged on an axis at right angles to the axis of the said wheelD, the surface of each of said wheels corresponding to the respectivefaces, of the said wheel D, and a guide for turningthe edge andconducting the fabric between the surfaces of the said wheels,substantially as described.

2. In alnachine for folding corset parts, the

combination of two wheels the axes of which are arranged at right anglesto each other, and the surfaces of the said wheels inclined to theirrespective axes, so as to present a workingsurface to each other, and aguide to fold and conduct the material between said wheels,substantially as described.

3. In a machine for folding corset parts, the combination of theinverted-V-shaped wheel D with two wheels, each arranged on an axis atright angles to the axis of the said wheel D, the surface of each ofsaid wheels correspondin g to the respective faces of the said wheel D,

a guidefor turning the edge and conducting the fabric between thesurfaces of the said wheels, and flexible disks working between saidwheels, substantially as described.

4. In a machine for folding corset parts, the combination of two wheelsthe axes of which are arranged at right angles to each other, and thesurfaces of the saidwheels inclined to their respective axes, so as topresenta working-surface to each other, a guide to fold and conduct thematerial between said wheels, and a flexible disk working between saidwheels, substantially as described.

5. In a machine for folding corset parts, the combination of theinverted-V-shaped wheel D with two wheels, each arranged on an axis atright angles to the axis of the said wheel I), the surface of each ofthe said wheels cor-' responding to the respective faces of the saidwheel D, and the V-shaped guide L, substantially as described.

AUGUSTINE B. CURTIS.

Witnesses:

.LEOPOLD KRAUS, CHAS. N. Downs.

